WUNRN
Direct Link to Full 59-Page 2013
Report:
2.2. Access to Justice for Minorities,
Women & Persons with Disabilities
Although equality between women and men is guaranteed in the constitutions of 139 countries and territories throughout the world, inadequate laws and loopholes in legislative frameworks, poor enforcement and vast implementation gaps make these guarantees hollow promises, in lives of many minorities, women and PWDs (persons with disabilities).10 Justice is central to the efforts to help minorities, women and PWDs become equal partners in decision-making and development, yet “no country is free from discrimination in the administration of justice." Access to justice for minorities, women and PWDs is specifically safeguarded in a number of international conventions and standards. Yet, in reality, minorities, including women and PWDs (persons with disabilities), often lack access to justice and equal protection of the law.12 This exclusion can be caused by factors as discrimination, poverty, low institutional trust or confidence in the process, lack of capacity, language barriers, weak access to information, or living in remote areas with a lack of judicial facilities. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers called for the urgent need to integrate a gender perspective into criminal justice systems, as a fundamental step towards allowing equal access to justice for women and men. Women are still largely underrepresented in the judiciary and in the legal profession globally.
